Exeter-Milligan Update: Senior High Choir

The Exeter-Milligan Senior High Choir performed a Veteran's Day Program at the Exeter Care Center on Thursday, November 6. Choir members are:  Row  1 (L-R) Katie Skinner, Alexis Uldrich, Haylee Sheffield, Ashley Benorden; Row 2 (L-R) Katie Moody, Andrew Dyer, Samantha Horne, Ella Wilkins  

Timberwolves Headed to Memorial Stadium!!!!

The boys of fall certainly felt like the boys of winter tonight as they met Falls City Sacred Heart in the D-2 semi-finals in Milligan.  The game started at 4:00 p.m. but by the time the sun went down the temps had dropped by 12 degrees and the wind hadn't let up.  The Timberwolves certainly didn't let up either and continued to hit hard and stick with the game despite the temps.  The Timberwolves held FCSH scoreless in the second half and put 8 points up on the board to take the lead.  The Timberwolves will meet Anselmo-Merna at Memorial Stadium on Monday, November 24th at 10:15 a.m.

T

 Kyle Jensen heads outside for some yardage.

 Dusty Axline carries the ball before FCSH pulls him down.

 Sam Zeleny carries the ball on the quarterback keeper.

 Derek Luzum and Dusty Axline clear a path for Kyle Jensen.

 Trevor Luzum gets the feet while Dusty Axline knocks heads with a FCSH player

 Derek Luzum almost gets one in the end zone.

Coach Filipi talks to the team after the game.

Exeter-Milligan Update: Sing Around Nebraska Honor Choir

Briana Capek, an Exeter-Milligan fifth grader, was selected to sing in the Sing Around Nebraska Honor Choir on November 7-8, held on the Nebraska Wesleyan University campus. Dr. Rollo Dilworth conducted the auditioned group of 150 fifth and sixth graders from across the state.

Exeter-Milligan Update:Doane Fall Festival of Winds

Exeter-Milligan had three participants at Doane Fall Festival of Winds on Saturday, November 1.  Jorydn Brandt was selected into the honor band through a video audition.  The honor band was directed by Dr. Jay Gilbert.  Trystan Brandt was a member of the Tiger Band, directed by Terry Rush.  Samantha Horne was a member of the Merrill Band, under the direction of Dr. Larry Blocher.  Pictured are the Doane FFW participants: (L-R)  Trystan Brandt, Jordyn Brandt, Samantha Horne

Exeter-Milligan Team Takes 3rd Place at State Tournament

The Exeter-Milligan Volleyball team took Third place at the State Volleyball Tournament today.  The team beat Wynot on Thursday afternoon in three straight sets.  On Friday, the Lady Timberwolves met the Giltner Hornets and lost a rough three sets by a total of 8 points.  The team was ahead in both the second and third sets but struggled later in the sets.  Saturday's consolation match was against Lawrence-Nelson who came off a Friday 5set match and loss to Stuart.  The Timberwolves got it done taking the third place medals.  Congratulations to the team and their coaches!

Exeter-Milligan Update: New SPARK Physical Education Program

Exeter-Milligan is excited to be involved in the Carol M. White PEP Grant funded by the U.S Department of Education.  Through this grant E-M will have the opportunity to improve physical activity opportunities and learning, and increase the promotion of healthy food choices.  E-M students are being challenged to learn new ways to approach physical education classes and add physical activity to their regular schedule.

In Mrs. Darcy White’s Physical Education classes, students have been using activities from the new SPARK Physical Education program.  The SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) program is research-based and strives to improve the health of children and promote lifelong wellness.  SPARK research has shown that students who participate in at least three 30-minute SPARK PE classes each week do as well or better than others on standardized academic test scores.

 In this photo, sophomore students are participating in the PACER event. PACER is an assessment that measures aerobic capacity.  It is progressive in nature and helps students of all ages learn how to “pace” themselves while performing aerobic activities. 

Brandt Performs in All-National Band

The smile on her face explained exactly what this once in a lifetime event meant to Jordyn Brandt.

Brandt, a senior at Exeter-Milligan, applied this spring to be a part of the All-National Band and not only was she accepted but she also earned the first chair nod in her Flute II group.  “You have to be a member of the all-state band in order to apply for this group, as an underclassmen you fill out an application and send in the same audition tape you did for the all-state band,” explained Brandt.

The event is sponsored by the National Association for Music Education and this year it was held in Nashville, TN at the Grand Ole Opry.  Students are chosen for four performance groups: Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Band and Mixed Choir.  The students must participate in the same group they were chosen for the All-State Band.

Brandt, a member of the Exeter-Milligan band, was chosen for the Concert Band.  She has been playing the flute since fifth grade and also plays the piccolo.  Brandt has also taken ten years of piano lessons and 12 years of dance lessons.  

Accompanied by her parents, Brandt arrived in Nashville on Sunday, Oct 26 where they had some free time to do some sightseeing.  “We went to the Parthenon in Nashville.  I really enjoyed the full size replica of the Athena statue and they had a very nice art collection.”

Brandt also enjoyed all of the scenery at the Opryland Convention Center where they stayed.  “The hotel had a beautiful place in the middle.  It was a glass dome filled with a lot of tropical plants and waterfalls. There was a fountain choreographed with music and an indoor boat ride.”

Once the program began, the students all stayed together and Brandt had a roommate from Wyoming.  Rehearsals started Sunday night under the direction of Mark Camphouse, a professor of music at George Mason University.  “We rehearsed a lot of the time but we also got to enjoy two different concerts.  On Sunday night we heard the Boston Brass and Tuesday we got to hear the U.S. Army band.”

Prior to the event, participants received the music so that they could have it ready to perform.  One of the pieces that the students performed was composed by Camphouse and included solos for some of the first chair performers, including Brandt.  The piece, “’The Shining City’ had a narrator who was Tennessee State Senator Mark Norris and was about Ronald Reagan’s speeches.”

They also performed a piece by a young composer who had entered a contest to have their piece performed by the All-National Band.  The final piece they performed was a part of a Tchaikovsky ballet.

The 150 members of the All-National Band performed mid-morning on Wednesday along with the other three performance groups, “This whole experience was amazing.  I really enjoyed performing with the top high school musicians in the country. It was such a huge honor to be on the stage of the famous Grand Ole Opry and I count it as one of the happiest moments of my life.”

 

“This experience really appealed to me.  I plan to major in music performance in college and double minor in studio art and art history. The conductor (Camphouse) taught us so much about being musical in general.  He also taught us a lot about conducting and talked to us about composing music.  He also encouraged us to figure out what we want to do with music after we graduate and go to college.  I would really recommend this experience to people that are excited about music and care about it.”

She also noted that she appreciated the financial support from the Exeter-Milligan Boosters.

Brandt was the lone student from Nebraska in the Honor Band.  There was one student from Nebraska in the Jazz Band and six in the choir.  “I talked to a lot of people, and I believe I went to the smallest school and had the smallest class out of all the participants.  At least half of the students went to private schools or specialty music schools,” explained Brandt.

Exeter-Milligan Band Director Angie Murphy has seen the benefits of the experience for Brandt, “Jordyn has grown musically through her experiences in several honor bands under multiple directors.  The All-National Band was a very positive experience for her future as a performance major.”

Brandt will be taking the stage again soon as she has been asked to fill in as a substitute flutist for the Hastings Symphony's Christmas Concert. The show will be on December 7, at 4:00, at the Masonic Center Auditorium, in Hastings.